How to Watch MSNBC Live on Roku – Your Top 7 Options

MSNBC’s comprehensive coverage of American and international news and politics is typically only available with a cable TV subscription. But if you’ve canceled cable or prefer to watch on your Roku, you may be wondering what your options are to watch MSNBC live on Roku.

In this article, we’ll discuss your best options to watch this top news channel directly on Roku, whether you still have a cable subscription or have cut the cord. Let’s get started.

fuboTV may seem like a bit of an odd choice to watch MSNBC live on Roku, given that this streaming service began with a focus on sports (particularly soccer). But in recent years, fuboTV has added news channels, entertainment channels, and more, making it a good choice for watching MSNBC live on Roku.

Channels and pricing

fuboTV offers two basic channel subscription packages, as you can see below:

To get MSNBC, you’ll only need to subscribe to the $45/month “fubo” package. Along with NBC, you’ll get local news coverage from CBS, Fox, and NBC, where available, as well as Fox News, CNBC, CNBC World, Cheddar Business, Fox Business, and CNN. You’ll also get plenty of top sports and entertainment channels like Fox Sports and TNT. For an extra $5/month, you can get a few more channels with the “fubo Extra” package.

Features

fuboTV has decent features, but they are a bit limiting, considering the price you have to pay for service. You can only stream on 2 devices at once, for example, though you can upgrade to 3 simultaneous streams for a $6/month fee.

You also do get a free cloud DVR with fuboTV, but you’re limited to only 30 hours of storage. Again, you can upgrade your DVR for a $10/month fee, which will get you 500 hours of storage.

fuboTV does have a Roku app, which you can find here. But beyond the Roku, fuboTV also supports a wide range of other devices, including the Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Apple TV, as well as most modern web browsers, and iOS/Android devices.

If you’d like to give fuboTV a try, you can get a free week-long trial, and see how you like the service.

Sling TV was first launched way back in 2015 when cord-cutting was a relatively new phenomenon and holds the title of the oldest internet TV “skinny bundle.” Not only that, it’s the cheapest way to watch MSNBC live on Roku if you don’t have cable.

* You get one stream with Sling Orange and up to 3 simultaneous streams with Sling Blue.

Both Sling Blue and Orange cost $25/month, but they have somewhat different channels. Sling Blue, for example, has some local broadcast networks and Fox Sports, while Sling Orange has ESPN and Disney-owned channels. You can combine both packages for $40/month.

However, MSNBC is not included with either basic channel package. To get MSNBC with Sling TV, you’ll need to get Sling Blue and then purchase the “News Extra” add-on for an extra $5/month fee. For your money, you’ll get MSNBC and CNBC, BBC World News, HLN, The Blaze, RT, and a few other news channels. Additionally, you’ll get CNN, Cheddar Business, Cheddar News, Bloomberg, and Newsy, which are included with Sling Blue.

Features

Sling TV has reasonably good features, but they vary based on the package you choose, and you need to pay an additional fee for some features, like the DVR. The DVR does not come with your subscription for free. You’ll pay an extra $5/month fee for 50 hours of DVR storage.

When it comes to simultaneous streams, Sling has also made things confusing. You can stream Sling Orange channels, like ESPN, on just 1 device. Sling Blue channels, like MSNBC, can be streamed on up to 3 devices.

If you combine Sling Orange + Blue, these limitations remain in place – you can stream channels that are shared by Orange and Blue on 4 devices, but Sling Orange and Sling Blue channels can still only be streamed on 1 or 3 devices, respectively. Yes, it’s confusing.

When it comes to the Roku channel, though, things are much simpler. You can add the Sling Roku channel here, and start watching on your Roku right away. Other supported devices include Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast, as well as all iOS and Android devices, web browsers, some LG and Samsung Smart TVs, and the Xbox One console. If you’d like to give Sling TV a shot and see if you like it, you can get a free week-long trial through their website now.

Hulu With Live TV has quickly become one of the top cable alternatives for cord-cutters, and for good reason. Hulu With Live TV lets you watch MSNBC live on Roku for a reasonable price, and has a great selection of channels and good features.

Channels and pricing

Hulu With Live TV keeps things simple. You get one subscription package to choose from, which costs $40/month and includes somewhere between 50-70 channels, depending on your location. For your money, you’ll get MSNBC, as well as several other top news channels, including CNN, CNN International, CBSN, Fox News, Fox Business, HLN, CNBC, and Cheddar. You’ll also get ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS if they’re available in your area.

Features

Hulu offers a good selection of channels at a reasonable price. But one of the most unique features about this service is that for the price of your $40/month Hulu With Live TV subscription, you also get access to the Hulu on-demand content library, which is an $8/month value. You can watch all of the movies, TV shows, and other content available on-demand at Hulu for no extra fee.

Beyond this, the features you’ll get are pretty standard. You get a free 50-hour DVR, which can be boosted to 200 hours of storage with the $15/month Enhanced DVR package. You can stream on only 2 devices at once by default, but with the $15/month Unlimited Screens package, you can watch on as many devices as you want at home, and on up to 3 at once outside of your home Wi-Fi network.

Hulu can be added to your Roku here, and the app is streamlined and easy to use on Roku. Of course, you’re not limited just to using your Roku. Hulu With Live TV supports more devices than any other internet TV service, including iOS and Android phones, web browsers, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, the Xbox One and 360, select Samsung and LG Smart TVs, and even the Nintendo Switch gaming console.

YouTube TV was launched in 2018 when Google threw its hat into the cord-cutting ring. Since then, the price of the service has jumped, but it’s also added quite a lot of channels and features, including Roku support.

Channels and pricing

Like Hulu With Live TV, YouTube TV offers only a single subscription option. You can get about 70 channels for just $40/month. This includes MSNBC, in addition to other news networks like CNBC, BBC World News, Cheddar, CNN, Fox News and Fox Business, HLN, and Newsy, as well as local ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC affiliates, where available.

Features

YouTube TV has features that are far better than most other internet TV services, which is why it’s often one of our top picks for cable alternatives at Flixed.

Let’s start with the DVR. You can record as many shows as you want, and save them for up to 9 months. There are no other limitations, and because you can create up to 6 user accounts and each one gets their own DVR, YouTube TV is a great option if you’re sharing your account.

You also can stream on up to 3 devices at once for no additional fee, which is higher than the industry standard of 2 simultaneous streams.

When it launched, YouTube TV did not support Roku, which was a bit disappointing. Originally, only iOS, Android, Chromecast, and the Chrome web browser were supported. Now, though, you can add YouTube TV to your Roku here. You can also stream on Apple TV, as well as the Xbox One, and some Smart TVs from LG, Samsung, Sharp, VIZIO, and Hisense.

PlayStation Vue is a bit pricey compared to some of the other options on our list, but combines great, family-friendly features with a reasonable package of channels, making it one of the best ways to watch MSNBC live on Roku.

Channels and pricing

PlayStation Vue gives you a total of four basic channel packages to choose from, as follows:

Access – 45+ channels, $45/month

Core – 60+ channels, $50/month

Elite – 80+ channels, $60/month

Ultra – All Elite channels plus HBO/Showtime, $80/month

To get MSNBC, you only need to subscribe to the $45/month “Access” package. You’ll also get ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC if they’re available in your area, as well as CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and Fox Business. You can get more news coverage by upgrading to the Core or Elite package for an additional fee.

Features

PlayStation Vue has a number of great features which make it perfect for larger families. Let’s start with the DVR. While you can only record your shows for 28 days, you can record an unlimited amount of content. That means you’ll never run out of storage space.

In addition, you can stream on up to 5 devices at once with PlayStation Vue at no extra cost, which is far and away the best simultaneous streaming policy available from an internet TV provider today.

PlayStation Vue supports the PlayStation 3 and 4, of course, but you can also add it to your Roku here. In addition, you can watch Vue on your web browser, iOS or Android device, and the Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV.

DirecTV Now was started by DirecTV as a way to reclaim some of the revenue that they’ve lost to cord-cutters. It’s a reasonably good option, but a bit lacking in features compared to our other top picks for watching MSNBC live on Roku.

Channels and pricing

DirecTV Now, like Playstation Vue, gives you four channel packages to choose from, as follows:

Live A Little – 65+ channels, $40/month

Just Right – 85+ channels, $55/month

Go Big – 105+ channels, $65/month

Gotta Have It – 125+ channels, $75/month

To get MSNBC live on Roku with DirecTV Now, you’ll only need the $40/month Live A Little package, which also comes with local ABC, Fox, NBC and CBS affiliates where available, as well as CNN, C-SPAN and C-SPAN 2, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business and Fox News, and HLN.

Features

DirecTV Now has caught up with the competition in a few important ways. For example, it didn’t offer a cloud DVR until the middle of 2018.

Now, a DVR is included in the price of your subscription, but it includes only a paltry 20 hours of storage, and your shows can only be saved for 30 days. Also, you can only stream on 2 devices at once, which is standard, but you can add another stream for an additional $5/month fee if you want, which does give you some more flexibility.

Device support is a bright spot for DirecTV Now, though. You can add it to Roku here, and you’ll also find that DirecTV Now supports just about every other streaming device. iOS and Android, as well as web browsers, are supported for on-the-go viewing, and you can also watch on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast.

If you have a traditional cable subscription, you can use your login information to watch MSNBC live on Roku with the NBC News Roku channel. And, if you’ve cut the cord, we have good news!

You can use a subscription to fuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu With Live TV, PlayStation Vue, or DirecTV Now to sign into the app, as well. All of these internet TV packages are supported by NBC, so you can use them just like you would use a cable login.

Why do this? The main advantage of watching MSNBC with this app is that it won’t count towards your simultaneous streams with your selected internet TV provider. In other words, if you have Sling Blue and watch MSNBC on this app, your family members will still be able to watch Sling on up to 3 other devices at once. It’s just a nice way to get some extra flexibility.

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